How Good are 8 Inch Mini Chainsaws with a Brushless Motor?
The 8 inch bar Imoumlive
The answer to that question is not straight forward because 8 inch mini chainsaws with a brushless motor are actually are still quite rare! So as a group they do not have a solid track record – yet!
If you are interested in why that might be, click here for some thoughts on the matter.
However, this scarcity is changing and more and more mini chainsaw brands are beginning to offer 8 inch versions of their battery powered mini chainsaws.
The Imoumlive 8 inch bar mini saw (pictured here) is a case in point. The 6-inch version is already well known and established in the market. However, the newer 8 inch Imoumlive has everything the shorter 6 inch bar model has, but with more power and cutting capacity.
A Great Small Chainsaw
Another recent addition to the growing list of choices of 8 inch mini chainsaws with a brushless motor is the very impressive 8-inch Milwaukee M18 Fuel Hatchet mini chainsaw.
One can expect more brands to follow this up-sizing example as the public become more confident in the capabilities of mini chainsaws.
So lets look at some of the other options available in this class of battery driven mini chainsaws.
They are all pretty impressive in their overall capabilities, but vary in the details of what they offer.
Kebtek 8-inch Brushless Mini Chainsaw
This Kebtec chainsaw has a chain speed of 11m/sec, comes with 2 batteries, a bar scabbard and a carry case.
So not a bad package.
In common with the Prunarbo, this mini saw seems to build on a base of knowledge gained manufacturing pruning secateurs.
That means they have experience with small, light battery driven tools which is a bonus.
The drawback here is that this seems to be the only mini chainsaw they produce (at time of writing). They do however also produce an electric hedge trimmer.
This is perhaps why Kebtek offer a small handle that you can screw into their mini saw which turns it into a 2-handed tool. Pretty useful in some situations!
Next is the
JENENSERIES 8 Inch Brushless
This JENENSERIES mini saw is one of the few 8 inch mini chainsaws with a brushless motor that DOES NOT have an automatic oiling system incorporated into the design.
They also make two 6-inch versions so this perhaps explains that omission.
The manufacturer claims a chain speed of 5m/sec which is hardly stellar when compared to the opposition above.
On the plus side – 2 batteries, a spare chain and a carry case add to the value of the overall package.
Hychika
The Hychika has a chain speed of 7,6m/sec which puts it towards the bottom of the range for these 8 inch mini chainsaws with a brushless motor.
The good thing with Hychika is that they manufacture a range of battery powered small tools which means they have plenty of experience in this field. The flip side is that they only make one mini chainsaw (and one “traditional” 14 inch chainsaw)
So this one does not come with a carry case but does come with a bar cover that slides over the bar and chain.
You will still need to make a plan to store all the bits and pieces.
Prunarbo 8 Inch Bar Mini Chainsaw
The Prunarbo 8 inch chainsaw is top of the pile price wise……and happy customer reviews wise as well!
One of its strengths is its chain speed which clocks in at 11m/secs which is towards the top end for a mini chainsaw. (However, that is still some way off the 15m/sec of the awesome Omola 4-inch bar mini saw)
Throw in 650 Watts of power and this is a pretty powerful mini chainsaw!
The 4Ah battery will give you up to 60 minutes working time but takes about two hours to recharge. That might seem to be a bit inconvenient but in reality, 60 minutes working time translates into probably 3 to 4 hrs in the garden or workshop.
In other words, one battery is probably more than adequate for most people. However, if you feel you need a second battery then you can always pick up a manufacturer recommended spare Makita 18V battery!
There is an extra chain included, but replacement chains are also readily available
Interestingly (when compared to others in this group), no type of case or bar cover is offered. So storing the mini saw and its bits and pieces will require some thought!
On to the competition
The Seesii 8 inch
This Seesii 8 inch mini chainsaw with a brushless motor is in the same price range as the Prunarbo above (at the time of writing) and so can be regarded as a direct competitor.
So what are the differences?
Chain speed for one. This Seesii edges the Prunarbo with a chain speed of 13m/sec. How significant is 2m/sec? A bit but probably not earth shatteringly so.
It comes with 2 batteries and these are also inter changeable with some of the Makita 18V batteries. However, there have been a few complaints about dud batteries (supplied, not the Makita options)so that is a bit of a concern.
However, it does come with a case and two batteries which might edge it ahead of the Prunarbo in some people’s books.
At this point maybe not as proven as the Prunarbo in the 8-inch bar category, but Seesii have a lot of experience in making mini chainsaws so that is in it’s favor.
In Conclusion
So as you will now appreciate, there are not a wide range of 8-inch mini chainsaws on the market.
This is because they occupy an awkward space between the idea of a mini chainsaw and a normal, traditional chainsaw that needs 2 hands to operate.
So a big small chainsaw 🙂
You will need to decide for yourself if you want to go bigger, or smaller, or get the 8-inch variety.
Or look for something completely different in the chainsaw line.